Cluj subway is Romania’s most delayed project that was backed by EU-funded PNRR, minister says

Romania’s minister of investments and European projects, Adrian Câciu, recently revealed that the Cluj-Napoca subway project is the most delayed one on the list of objectives funded by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR).

Câciu compared the issues facing the subway project with another similar one, the M6 line in Bucharest connecting the city to the Otopeni airport. According to the minister, the latter is already 30% complete.

"The M6 line, which we are now contracting, is already 30% complete. We managed to include it in the PNRR, and we will reimburse the money for it," said Câciu, cited by News.ro.

The minister specified that in Cluj, it is "the same type of infrastructure, but we still don't have a site supervision contract, we don't have a site delineation, and excavation hasn't started, although, by the end of this year, we should have 50% completion."

Câciu admitted to being concerned, adding that he would go there after the ongoing electoral campaign because he does not want it to be perceived as an attack.

"I would really like the local authority's full attention to be directed towards this project, because it is a project that, if useful for all Cluj residents, should be done," he further commented.

Cluj-Napoca’s planned Subway Line M1 has 21 stations and costs RON 9 billion (EUR 1.8 billion), of which RON 1.5 billion is from PNRR funds, and the completion period is 8 years. The consortium consisting of Gulermak (Turkey) - Alstom - Arcada is the contractor. The project was plagued by delays almost from the start.

(Photo source: Inquam Photos | Octav Ganea)